18/09

High Instagram Interval Training

By Geisha Bar

How many of you take selfies at the gym? When I’m scrolling Insta or Facebook, I’m seeing a stream of gym selfies, to the point that I often wonder, “if you didn’t take a selfie does the exercise even count?” I get it, it’s nice to have people validate you online for your healthy choices, and it’s always affirming to see all those comments and likes come rolling in. I personally haven’t taken any gym selfies because where I work out (CrossFit), there are no mirrors, and to be honest, it’s the kind of place that I’d feel embarrassed as fuck for taking a gym selfie (maybe one night I’ll sneak into the free gym at uni and stock up on some good gym selfies to release on social media one day, though!).

In the meantime though, Anytime Fitness Hornby in Christchurch, New Zealand, is clearly a bit fed up with their members taking gym selfies – apparently at other gyms, members have appeared in the backgrounds of gym selfies and have complained, so those gyms have created a ban on taking gym selfies. Fair enough. But here’s the kicker – Anytime Fitness wanted to make sure they weren’t going to shit on anybody’s Insta likes parade, so they created a “selfie” room within their gym. Amazing. It’s a private room decked out with mirrors so that members can selfie away until the cows come home. It’s 2018, people. The future is here.

So, this is a pretty dividing issue. Some say that it’s ridiculous as fuck and that people taking selfies constantly at the gym is narcissistic and vapid. However I think that for some people, taking the selfies and getting the online validation from people is part of what encourages them to get to the gym and work out. We’re all humans just trying to do the best we can, and if that involves needing to take gym selfies to build gym selfie esteem, then fucking go for it! Do whatever works for you!